He Walked in Dreams and Darkness
by theonceandfutureprat
Summary: "Yes, Pendragon, magic. The magic which your father has persecuted for twenty years with no good reason, when there are hundreds of sorcerers who want nothing more than to live in peace."   "You're not one of them, though, are you, Merlin?" No slash.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: This is our first fanfic ever. Well, Rachel's first, and the first we've written together. This chapter was mostly me (Hannah). A lot of work went into this (This was born on camp and we stayed up very very very late and annoyed many people because of it) So please R&R. It would make me very happy, and probably Rachel too, but that doesn't matter. ) You want to make me happy, because then I'll give you (virtual) cookies. _

**Chapter 1**

The sun was just cresting the horizon as the two riders set out from Camelot. It was a frosty, uninviting morning with a chilling wind, but it didn't stop the horses speeding along the path deep into the forest and away from the civilisation and warmth of the castle. Merlin could feel the chill wind blowing right through his thin servant's clothing and tried to draw himself in as small as possible, lamenting his inability to warm himself up with magic. Merlin had been far less than impressed when he had been woken by an impatient knock at his door at a painful hour that morning. Upon answering the door he had found a very tired and irritable Gaius, demanding that he prepare to ride out hunting with the Prince as fast as possible so he could return to bed. Ordinarily, Merlin would receive at least a day's notice before one of Arthur's spontaneous hunting trips, particularly one which involved camping in the forest for three days, but today had been the exception. Having had everything done for him his whole pampered life, Arthur didn't seem to realise that Merlin needed time to gather the things needed for a hunting trip and how cold it was outside. Of course, there was always the possibility that Arthur just enjoyed watching Merlin run all over the castle while he was still half asleep.

Merlin thought back to the previous evening. He should really have anticipated this. Arthur had been getting more and more irritated throughout the week, and the previous evening he had been in one of the worst moods Merlin had ever seen him in, and had Merlin not left early, he feared that Arthur might have broken every fragile thing in his chambers by throwing it at Merlin's head. Merlin muttered grumpily to himself about Arthur's need to kill things when he was in a strop, as he rode after him further away from home and, much to Merlin's annoyance, his breakfast.

"What's wrong with you, Merlin?" Arthur called.

"I'm on a horse. I should be in bed- I mean, practising my armour polishing skills. And it's really early in the morning and I can see my breath." Merlin replied, trying not to grumble too much and irritate the prince further , but failing miserably.

"Is poor Merlin cold?" Merlin could detect the sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes." Merlin snapped grumpily. "Why are we going now? And why do I have to come?" Arthur sighed exasperatedly.

"You are such a girl's petticoat, Merlin. I need someone to carry everything, and unfortunately you were my only option." Merlin opened his mouth to retort but Arthur sped out of earshot round a curve in the track. Merlin sighed and urged his horse to catch up.

They rode on in silence for far longer than Merlin would have liked until Arthur finally decided they were far enough away from Camelot. He dismounted, immediately throwing the reins to Merlin and taking out his crossbow, fiddling with it, making tiny adjustments that Merlin was sure he would never understand. He set about securing the horses, fumbling over the knots, Arthur getting more and more impatient. Merlin felt himself becoming frustrated. It would be so much easier if Arthur would just leave him alone for a minute so he could use magic to finish them.

Eventually, Arthur became so impatient he roughly pulled Merlin's hands out of the way and easily finished the knots himself.

"You really are useless, aren't you, Merlin?" Merlin sighed, not bothering to disagree. He gathered the rest of Arthur's weapons and followed him off the track and into the trees. Merlin followed clumsily, trying hard not to attract the glares he received from Arthur every time he made the slightest sound.

"Of all the manservants in the world why do I get a clumsy idiot?"  
>"I'm not the one making all the noise by talking." Arthur glared, but then continued silently through the trees.<p>

Arthur held up one hand to stop Merlin as he heard something which wasn't Merlin move not too far away. Merlin shifted nervously from foot to foot. Arthur turned back to give him a look and mouth 'more scared of you than you are of it.' Merlin stopped shuffling and tried to stay as still as possible.

The sound of a snapping twig behind them gave Arthur enough time to turn to see and avoid an attack from a man wielding a sword. He was tall and well built, but wearing mismatched armour which was clearly stolen. His face was covered in cuts, bruising and a smattering of stubble. He was followed by a group of six more men, dressed in the same shabby, mismatched way, but all armed and aggressive.

"Bandits." The single word which Arthur spoke was clearly Merlin's cue to either run and hide somewhere or attempt to help by fighting with his own borrowed sword. Merlin quickly slipped out of sight behind a thick trunked tree; He had no hope of being able to use magic while Arthur could see him so clearly. Peering out, he could see that Arthur had already managed to take two bandits down, but the other five were ganging up on him and it looked as though he wouldn't last much longer. Merlin could think of nothing else he could do than to mutter the familiar words:

"_Forbærnen firgenholt_."

There was a loud crack as a huge tree branch fell from above and crushed two of the attacking bandits. Merlin breathed a sigh of relief; He had only narrowly missed hitting Arthur, whose look of surprise was almost comical. Now that Merlin had more time he was able to think about what to do.

"_Áhatian!"_  
>One of the bandits cried out as his sword heated to an unbearable temperature burning his hands, allowing Arthur to easily cut him down while he was distracted by pain. Merlin smiled sadly. These bandits weren't to know that Arthur was the crowned Prince of Camelot, and one of the best living swordsmen, but they were intent on killing Arthur, and there was nothing Merlin could do to spare them. Merlin was surprised to find himself feeling almost bored. Once he returned to Camelot, he would research more interesting and discreet bandit thwarting spells, though Arthur was so oblivious he doubted it would matter much.<p>

Merlin glanced around, trying to find something else he could use to help Arthur with the three- now two remaining bandits. Merlin winced and looked more frantically as Arthur took a blow to the chest from the hilt of the largest bandit's sword. It was at that moment that Merlin saw a cloaked figure standing not a long way off in the trees. He was partially obscured by leaves and other trees, but he was definitely there, calmly watching the fight. Merlin moved closer silently, glad that Arthur couldn't see how silent he could be when he really wanted to.

He approached the figure from behind, not wanting to be seen just yet. He was hooded, so Merlin was unable to see his face, but as he drew closer he was able to hear that they were speaking. As he drew closer, the man's voice became clearer until he could almost pick out the words. Merlin strained his ears to try and make it out, unable to make any sense out of what the man was saying until he realized that they were not English words. Now that Merlin thought about it, they were definitely the words of an incantation, and, judging by how long it had taken him to work it out, one that was almost complete.

As Merlin opened his mouth to utter his own spell, the sorcerer turned and looked directly at him. Merlin was shocked an annoyed; he had been certain he had made no sound, but he had lost the element of surprise anyway. Still, there was nothing he could do about it now. All he needed to concentrate on was stopping this man using magic, at least until he found out what he was using it for.

The sorcerer finished the incantation. Merlin felt a pang of dismay as the sorcerer raised his right hand, and, though it looked no different, Merlin could sense the power emanating from it. To Merlin's surprise he aimed the spell, not towards the fight, but at Merlin himself. Merlin had no time to protect himself as the sorcerer grabbed his wrist, cutting him off mid-spell. Merlin just had time to see a cruel smirk before the force of the spell knocked him onto his back. Merlin had only a moment to feel panic before he felt the spell start to take effect. He began to lose control over his legs, and this feeling raced up his body until he could no longer move.

"_Mer_lin!" He could hear Arthur shouting for him and drawing nearer through the trees. Merlin wanted to answer – he could hear how irritated Arthur was- but the strange feeling clouding his mind prevented him from doing so. Merlin could feel it growing stronger within his mind, now almost like a presence with its own will. Merlin tried to call out to Arthur, but to his frustration his body would no longer respond.

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur's shouts were drawing nearer. Without warning, Merlin felt himself sit up. Somewhat annoyed that it had taken so long for his body to respond, Merlin then tried to get onto his feet. His body stayed exactly where it was. Merlin struggled hard, but no matter what he tried his body remained stubbornly where it was, sitting on the ground amongst the trees.

"_Merlin!_" Arthur appeared through a gap in the trees. "Why didn't you reply or stand up, you lazy oaf?" Arthur gave Merlin what was designed to be a soft kick in the leg but actually hurt him quite a bit. Merlin tried to cry out in pain, but instead heard his own voice reply by itself.  
>"I'm very sorry, Sire. I tripped and fell." <em>Sire? <em>Merlin almost never called Arthur the prat 'Sire' and he liked to think that if his voice ever gained a mind of its own it would continue to give the Prince the disrespect he very much needed.

Arthur kicked him again.

"Get up. We have a lot of hunting to do before you can laze around on the floor."

"Yes, Sire."  
>Arthur gave Merlin a weird look before setting back off into the trees, and much to Merlin's dismay, Merlin's body stood up and followed without him prompting it to do so.<p>

Merlin could detect something in his mind, stopping him from commanding his body. Merlin automatically shrank away from it into the depths of his mind. Realising that this would do him no good, he tried imagining himself walking slightly closer to it so he could see what it was. As soon as he tried he felt an intense pain and the sensation of being thrown back, further from control.

"Keep away from me." With the voice, Merlin could detect an intense hatred for both him and Arthur before the presence of the other consciousness in his mind was sealed off. Merlin tried to draw on his magic, and to his relief it obeyed as he threw a ball of power at what he supposed was a mental wall separating him, and whoever else was occupying his mind. Merlin sighed as it barely managed to dent it, but he knew he couldn't give up, or, judging from the hatred he had felt for those few seconds, Arthur would die.

**{Translations: Forbærnen firgenholt: Burn the wood [season 1, episode 7]  
>Áhatian: Heat [Season 1, episode 10]}<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

_Second chapter. ^.^ Again, I can't take full credit for writing it, as Rachel proof read, corrected and made me rewrite half of it. Still. It's my chapter, so my AN. Although I plan on trying to invade Rachel's ANs when the time comes._

**(Trying being the key word in that sentence.) **_Hello Rachel. How nice of you to join us._

_I give cookies to TheJunebug1218, jaqtkd, Curly Wurly Me and jayley because they reviewed. Anyone who favourited/alerted can have half a cookie. Please give reviews. They make me happy and bring me out of my current sadness that I haven't got into Pottermore yet, and that I haven't met the cast of Merlin/managed to take over the show. Think of the reviews as giving Merlin hugs. :) He needs them._

_But thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and favouriting and all those lovely things. You're lovely. We will get round to replying to reviews as soon as we've decided who will be responsible for that. Anyway. Enjoy. _

**Chapter 2**

Arthur stared morosely into the flames of the small fire Merlin had built. It was yet another one of the tasks Merlin had successfully completed throughout the day without messing up once. Although he would never admit it, Arthur missed his servant's usual incompetence and complete lack of skill at absolutely everything. Since the attack that morning, Merlin had been as respectful and competent as Arthur would expect any manservant to be. And yet it was so frustrating! Merlin hadn't called him a prat, a clotpole, a dollophead or any of his other idiomatic insults all day. He had used the word 'Sire' two out of three sentences, and 'My Lord' in the rest. Arthur had never thought he would miss Merlin's cheek, and yet he felt so melancholy without it.

Arthur thought hard. He half smiled as he heard Merlin's voice in his head telling him that thinking must be a huge achievement for him. Something must have upset Merlin. Either that or he was just doing it to be annoying, something which Arthur wouldn't put past him. Arthur tried to think back to when he might have done something to tip Merlin over the edge like this. He supposed he hadn't been the most pleasant of people that morning. But then again, when was he ever pleasant in the morning? Merlin always dealt with it with his usual cheerfulness and irritating trademark smile. Perhaps the previous evening, when he had thrown a bucket of water over Merlin's head again? No. He had done that before and it had never made Merlin act like this. Though perhaps it had been the final straw. Merlin certainly seemed the type to keep anger bottled up inside him until he couldn't take it anymore.

Arthur sighed and looked over to where Merlin was lying a little way away on his back, looking up at the branches which obscured the night sky above. He had been quiet all day, and had been lying there after depositing an enormous pile of firewood. The light of the fire cast strange shadows across his face, making him look almost inhuman.

With a sigh, Arthur stood up and walked over to lie down on his blankets next to Merlin. He looked over at the boy. After all these years, Arthur still thought of him as a boy, though he supposed he must be around the same age as himself. Merlin just seemed younger than he really was. Arthur turned onto his side and looked at him.

"We can go back to Camelot in two days."

"Yes, Sire." Merlin didn't show any emotion at this at all and there wasn't even a hint of sarcasm in his answer. Arthur rolled back onto his back, deciding to test how far he could push him.

"Tomorrow, we'll get up at dawn. You can pack everything up."

"Very good, Sire." Still no emotion. Not even the slightest hint of annoyance.

"And you can carry everything, and lead the horse. There's no sense in tiring it out."

"Yes, My Lord." This was getting ridiculous.

"Then you can do a bit of hunting yourself, like you always do. And then you can walk back to Camelot."

"Of course, Sire."

"In fact, when we go back to Camelot you should carry the horses too. It's more efficient that way. We need to treat our horses well, don't we, Merlin?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"And you can hop as well, so you can get a bit of muscle."

"Very good, Sire."

"Oh, and seeing as you'll be carrying my horse, you'll have to carry me on your back."

"Of course, Sire."

"You haven't listened to a word I've just said, have you Merlin? What is it?" Arthur sighed.

"I have listened, and it's nothing, Sire."

"Come on. You just agreed to hop back to Camelot carrying the horses and me. Something's wrong. You haven't called me a prat all day, and you keep calling me 'Sire'."

"Would you like me to call you a prat, Sire?"

"No! I just..." Merlin seemed genuinely confused and Arthur didn't know how to respond. "Look. I know we're not supposed to be friends but... In some ways, I believe that over the years, we have become as close to friends as you and I will be able to get. And if you ever tell anyone that, I will have you in the stocks for a week." Arthur looked over, expecting to see Merlin laugh or smile, but there wasn't even a slightest twitch of his mouth.

After a long silence, Merlin finally spoke properly.

"You really want to know what the problem is, Sire?"

Arthur sighed irritably. "Yes!"

Merlin sighed and seemed to consider for a couple of seconds. "Your breathing is the problem."

Merlin moved far faster than Arthur would have thought possible and suddenly he had shot off his back and was now kneeling over Arthur, his hands at Arthur's throat. Arthur choked and pulled at Merlin's hands, prising them away.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Merlin bent down and hissed in Arthur's ear.

"You are Arthur Pendragon, the son of Uther Pendragon. If you die, I will be free to return to Camelot and finish the assassination so many have failed to complete."

Merlin's fingers closed around Arthur's throat, and he felt himself grow dizzy with the lack of air. He had to break free, and fast, or he would pass out and presumably never wake up. Arthur pulled at Merlin's hands uselessly for a few moments, before remembering himself. He gripped one wrist with both hands, and twisted his hands in opposite directions, hard. He hoped that Merlin would let go, or at least loosen his grip, in shock. He didn't even react, despite the pain Arthur knew he must be feeling.

Nevertheless, Arthur did not lose fights. He certainly did not lose fights with Merlin, and he wasn't going to die here at his manservant's hand.  
>Arthur brought a leg up to knee Merlin in the side, and Merlin almost lost his balance, loosening his grip on Arthur's neck. Arthur took advantage of the moment of weakness, sitting up with speed.<br>Arthur took Merlin's wrist in his hand, whilst pushing Merlin down with his other hand. He twisted Merlin's arm behind his back, and held Merlin down by placing his knee in the small of Merlin's back.

"Why would you want that? You've been loyal to Camelot, to me all these years. Have you been lying to me all this time?" Arthur could feel the betrayal and hurt inside his chest, but suppressed it and refused to acknowledge it.

"More than you know. You complete fool. You've failed to see it, and there have been so many hints. _Ástríce!_"

Arthur felt an invisible force slam into him, throwing him backwards against a tree. The force dropped him, but Arthur landed on his feet, staggering slightly, giving Merlin time to hold him against the tree by his throat. Arthur could feel the uncontrollable wave of anger and betrayal building up inside him.

"You have magic!" He choked. Merlin smirked, in the way that he'd seen Morgana smirk so many times before.

"Yes, Pendragon, magic. The magic which your father has persecuted for twenty years with no good reason, when there are hundreds of sorcerers who want nothing more than to live in peace."

"You're not one of them, though, are you, Merlin?"

Merlin laughed, but not his usual, carefree laugh. This laugh was cruel, and humourless and sounded somehow older than Merlin's usual chuckle.

Merlin's grip tightened around Arthur's neck, so he could only manage to choke out the word: "Why?"

"You sicken me. I have hated you from the very moment I met you. You're an arrogant fool with the brains of an insect. You have stood by and watched so many of my people die at your father's hand. Most of them you have arrested and locked away to be executed yourself."  
>Arthur opened his mouth to try and protest but Merlin merely slammed his head back against the tree, dazing him temporarily.<p>

"You have no redeeming qualities. You are blinded by your father's hatred of magic, unable to grow a backbone and think for yourself. Most sorcerers would quite happily live in peace with Camelot. Magic is like a sword. It is neither good, nor evil. It depends on the person wielding it."  
>Merlin's grip loosened slightly, giving Arthur the chance to pull his hand away and twist it behind his back again, and managing to wrap an arm around Merlin's chest from behind, pinning his other arm to his side.<p>

"But clearly, Merlin." He spoke the name with contempt. "You are not one of these peaceful sorcerers you speak of. You have betrayed and lied to me, and made an attempt on my life. What can you possibly hope to gain?"

Merlin's answer was angry.

"With you dead, and Morgana gone, Uther would quickly fall, leaving Camelot open to attack. Once Camelot falls, magic will be restored to this land and the needless sacrifices will stop. It's time to die. Goodbye, Pendragon."

Merlin spoke more strange words, forming another spell, throwing Arthur off and grabbing his sword off the ground, as Arthur fell to the floor, winded by the force of the enchantment. Arthur had no time to defend himself as Merlin brought the sword down towards Arthur's neck.

Suddenly, without warning, Merlin collapsed next to Arthur, the sword still in his hand. Arthur was surprised, but quickly got up and placed his knee in its former position on Merlin's back, and holding the sword against Merlin's neck. Arthur held him restrained for several minutes, thinking that it could be a trick. Just as he was about to release the now limp Merlin, he gasped and opened his eyes. When he spoke, his tone was completely different; Much more like the old Merlin although far more serious than he would have thought Merlin was capable of being.

"Arthur, you have to kill me."Arthur was so surprised he almost dropped his sword.

"Oh, your time to die will come, Merlin. As soon as we get back to Camelot." He pressed the sword into Merlin's neck, hard enough to scare him, but not enough to draw blood. Arthur could still feel the betrayal and hatred boiling inside him. Merlin, someone he had almost considered one of his closest friends had been lying to him for all these years, plotting the downfall of the kingdom his father had worked so hard to build and that he, Arthur, had worked so hard to protect.

"No! You don't understand! You have to kill me right now! You're in danger!"

"Yes I was, Merlin. You tried to kill me. With magic. Remember?" Arthur heard Merlin gasp in pain and realised that in his anger he had pressed hard enough to draw blood. He felt surprised that Merlin had noticed the pain of a small cut, but not that of his arm being twisted almost to the point of dislocation.

"No! Arthur, stop being a prat and listen to me! That wasn't me. There is something- someone inside my head. I think it must be the sorcerer I saw this morning when the bandits attacked. He's controlling me, it took me all day to fight him off, but he could take back over at any moment. Please, Arthur, you have to kill me now!"

Arthur took a moment to consider this. "But you are a sorcerer. _Mer_lin. _You _are a sorcerer. How can I possibly trust anything you say?"

"Is this really the time to be discussing this?" Merlin's voice was strained from pain, and Arthur automatically loosened his grip on Merlin's arm.

"Yes. Because I still don't know if I can trust what you are saying is the truth."

"Arthur, think about it. I have been serving you for years. If I wanted to kill you, do you not think I would have done so while you were asleep, or used a subtler means, like poison? I could easily get something fatal from Gaius. Why would I do it now?"

"I am quite worried that you have considered ways in which it would be most effective to kill me, Merlin."

"Think about it, it makes sense!"

Arthur considered for a while. His instincts told him that he should take Merlin straight back to Camelot and have him executed, but Arthur went against them, putting his sword down, but still holding Merlin down with his knee. He felt a little guilty seeing Merlin's blood running down his neck, soaking into his neckerchief and the ground where he was lying, even though the cut was tiny.

"I'll admit what you say does sound like the truth. But _magic _Merlin!"

"I was born with magic! I didn't choose it. I've been able to use it since before I could talk. I would never use it against you, or Camelot, Arthur. I've been using it to protect you all these years. You have no idea how many times I've saved your royal backside. And now I'd like to have that honour one last time. I can't hold him back much longer. If I die, he will die. Please. Kill me." Arthur decided to push most of what Merlin had said to the back of his mind, resolving to discuss it later, when they had worked their way out of this mess.

"There must be another way. Think, Merlin."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm a sorcerer, I'm evil. You have to kill me, Arthur!"

"I will not sacrifice an innocent man to protect myself." Arthur had made his mind up. For now, Merlin was innocent until proven guilty. He removed his knee from Merlin's back, but Merlin didn't move and his expression could only be described as dismayed.

"I am not an innocent man, Arthur. I have done terrible things. I poisoned Morgana, before she disappeared, and that is what made her ally herself with Morgause. I was the one who released the dragon, and I lied to you when I told you I had killed it. I have lied to you every day since we met, and death is no more than I deserve. So kill me now."

"That's not important now. I will decide what I think of you later. What you need to concentrate on is how to kill this other sorcerer, as he poses the greater threat." Arthur hurriedly pushed Merlin's confessions to the back of his mind; He must have had his reasons. Merlin was clearly struggling to keep control and this was no time to put him on trial.

"I can only expel him into another living human body."

"Mine." The word had left Arthur's mouth before he'd even considered it fully, but he had to admit it made sense.

"What?" Merlin seemed shocked and confused.

"My body. You can fend me off with magic if I try to attack you, and then you can work out what to do." Arthur could hardly believe what he was saying. Merlin was a sorcerer. Merlin was evil. He'd confessed to his guilt, so why did Arthur still want to help him? Something inside Arthur refused to admit that Merlin was evil. He was Merlin, for heaven's sake. Merlin couldn't be evil if his life depended on it.

"But-"

"No buts, Merlin. Do it now. I know nothing of magic, I'm useless. You are our only chance to get out of this! Do it now! That is an order."

"To hell with your orders!"

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur could feel his growing frustration. Of all the times Merlin could be disobedient, he chose now?

Merlin sat up, looking upset and worried.

"When he's in your mind you need to block him out using a wall of strong emotion. Think of Gwen, or someone you care about deeply. If you need to fight him imagine the sword your father used to defeat the wraith. It will save you." Arthur was about to question Merlin's logic, but could see the boy- no, the man was losing the battle.

"Very touching, Merlin. Now get on with it!"

With regret in his eyes, Merlin placed one hand on the prince's forehead and spoke the words of the old religion.

"_Áscúfan ingenga._"

_{Translations: Ástríce: [I] Strike [Season 2, episode 12]_  
><em>Ascúfan ingenga: Banish the invader [online translator]}<em>


	3. Chapter 3

**Rachel here, uploading another of Hannah's brilliant chapters. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far; you're all fantastic human beings.**

_I apologise most profusely, but I went on holiday, and failed to send this to Rachel because the internet's stupid. Then I got ill, then I got stressed. . Exams don't like me._

_Please review. I'll love you forever if you do. :3_

**Chapter 3**

Merlin opened his eyes after what felt like minutes, but could well have been hours. He was lying flat on his back on the forest floor. He looked up to see Arthur, or rather the sorcerer possessing Arthur's body, with one knee on his chest and Arthur's sword at his throat, smirking. Merlin felt his stomach drop. He had been so sure Arthur would be strong enough to fight the sorcerer off, although he hadn't accounted for the fact that Arthur didn't possess magic. Arthur smirked even more, and Merlin guessed that his emotion must have showed on his face.

"Hello, Emrys."

Merlin could feel the blade pressing against his throat, and he knew that if he made one wrong move it would be the last move he ever made, leaving Arthur at the mercy of the sorcerer. He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully so as not to cause the sorcerer to do anything out of anger.

"Why do you call me that?" Merlin hoped that the sorcerer didn't know too much about him.

Arthur, or rather, the sorcerer laughed. The laugh was cold, and sounded almost insane.

"The possession is two way, Merlin. As you could see into my mind, I could see into yours. I know everything about you, the secrets not even your closest friends know. Your defences are surprisingly good, if that's any consolation. Still, you've had a lot of practice. You've been keeping secrets all your life."

"You're wrong. I could only see what you were thinking about at the time." Merlin tried to move as little as possible when he spoke.

"Because I knew how to stop you seeing the rest. I'm far more experienced than you, Merlin. I've performed enchantments you've never even dreamed of." Merlin felt frustrated. This sorcerer had taken his body with no forewarning, tried to kill the man he was destined to protect, and was now possessing aforementioned man's body and using it to threaten him.

"_Ástríce!_"

Arthur, or the sorcerer, was thrown back, dropping the sword to the floor. The sorcerer stood, looking murderous.

"That was a very unwise move, Foolish Boy. Now that I have the young Pendragon's body I have no need of yours, and you have just proved that keeping you alive will be of no use to me. _Swelte, Merlin!_"

Nothing happened. The sorcerer looked confused and frustrated. Merlin raised his eyebrows, smiling slightly at his oversight..

"Arthur does not possess magic. You cannot win against me."

The sorcerer considered this.

"And yet, you cannot win either. Anything you do to me, will hurt your precious Pendragon. I don't even feel any pain this body goes through. He does."

"But I can hold you at bay until I figure out how to get you back out of his body. I don't need to hurt you. So, who are you?"

A stubborn silence followed as the sorcerer glowered at him. Merlin sighed and tried to remember what little he had seen within the sorcerer's mind. "I know your name, at least. It's Roth, isn't it?"

The sorcerer scowled, telling Merlin that he was correct.

"Why do you want to kill Arthur?"

At this, Roth seemed to explode into a fit of rage. It seemed as though he must have bottled up all of his anger and hatred for years, saving it for this moment.

"_Why_ do I want to kill him? Why do _you_ keep protecting him? You're stubbornly set in your ways and refuse to see the bigger picture! You're a disgrace to your own people! Do you know how many innocent people have died at the hands of Uther Pendragon? I had a wife and two children once. Now I am alone because he murdered them! How many people that you care about have died because of that tyrant?

"First there was Will, your best friend. If you had been allowed to use magic to heal him, he would still be alive today. But dear Arthur was there, so you had to let him die. Then there was Freya, your first love. Persecuted because of the terrible curse put upon her, and because of the gift she possessed. She was so like you, wasn't she, Merlin. Alone, misunderstood. But then she was murdered, by none other than Arthur himself."

At this Merlin tried to protest. Arthur hadn't known. It wasn't his fault. He could feel the hurt that he had hidden away, all the memories he had tried to forget rising to the surface. Roth ploughed on mercilessly, aware of the effect he was having.

"And your father, the last dragon lord. The father you knew for a matter of days. Had it not been for Uther, you might have had a father for your childhood, might still have one now, and yet he died, because of the dragon you set free because you had to protect the young Prince." At this the sorcerer laughed cruelly.

"Foolish boy. Why do you protect this man? You had so many opportunities just to let him die. And yet he is still alive because of you. This young one is no different." Merlin opened his mouth to protest but Roth cut him off.

"I can see everything he is thinking, boy. He's thinking of your betrayal, how you've lied to him for so many years. How you are an evil sorcerer, but his only chance of staying alive. He's using you, Merlin, can't you see that? Without you, he will die. He knows that. If you manage to get out of this, as soon as you return to Camelot he will have you executed. Right now, he's debating whether to have you beheaded or burned at the stake."

Merlin shook his head, refusing to accept this. Arthur had never been one to enjoy executions, and certainly didn't support them to the extent that he would rather think about Merlin's than fight off a sorcerer. But then again, Merlin was a sorcerer, and Arthur had had it drummed into him since birth that all sorcerers were evil, regardless of their identity or actions.

"You're lying."

"Lying?" Roth shook his head. "Why would I lie, Merlin? What would I gain?"

"Arthur dead for a start."

Roth scowled again but then smiled, in a way that made Merlin feel very uncomfortable. He picked up the sword, putting Merlin back on guard.

"Well, Merlin. I might not be able to hurt _you _with this." To Merlin's astonishment and horror, he raised the sword to his own, or rather Arthur's throat. "But I can hurt what you really want to protect."

"No!" Merlin cried out. He took a step forward, stopping when a tiny bead of blood ran from where the sword touched Arthur's throat.

"Not another step, Merlin, or your prince and I will die together."

"'I am the Emrys spoken of by the druids, the most powerful sorcerer of all time, and Arthur is the Once and Future King, destined to be the greatest king ever known, and to restore magic to the land. Magic can only return with Arthur as king - you must not kill him!" Merlin tried to reason with him, but Roth merely shrugged.

"It makes no difference to me."

"Please, I'll do anything." Merlin pleaded.

"Anything?" Roth seemed intrigued.

"Anything."

"What could you possibly offer me?" Roth sneered.

"I'll do anything you tell me to. All my powers will be at your disposal."

"Tempting..." Roth smirked. Merlin knew the desperation was clear on his face but it was too late to hide it now. "Fine." Merlin breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly tensed again as he heard what Roth had to say next.

"You will kill Uther Pendragon."

"What?"

"Kill Uther. You said yourself magic would be restored under this boy's rein. Kill his father and let your destiny be fulfilled. Or I could just kill the boy."

"No!" Roth smirked. "I'll do it. Just leave Arthur alone."

"Hurry up then." Roth was triumphant.

Merlin turned away to start packing up but heard Roth stumble behind him. He turned back to see him breathing heavily.

"Merlin." His tone was lighter, and less cruel.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, delighted.

"Yes." Merlin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness."

"You are not to harm my father, Merlin." Arthur's tone was commanding.

"I don't have a choice, Arthur." Merlin sighed unhappily. "If I don't Roth will kill you. You can execute me afterwards if you must, but I have to make sure you stay alive."

"Why? Why are you so intent on protecting me?" Merlin could sense Arthur becoming frustrated.

"Because it's my destiny. You heard what I said to Roth. You are the once and future king, destined to unite the land of Albion and return peace. I am destined to protect you and ensure that you live to see that day."

"Where did you find that out?" Arthur seemed sceptical.

"A very wise friend told me."

"Who?"

"Arthur, please! This isn't the time." Merlin hurried to finish packing up everything.

"Merlin." Merlin turned to see Arthur picking his sword back up. "You are not to return to Camelot."

"I have to." Merlin tried desperately to think of a way to make Arthur understand.

"Merlin. Return to Camelot, and face the consequences." Merlin looked at the sword.

"Arthur, we've been through this. You might be able to take me apart with one blow." Merlin turned to the fire and called on his magic to put it out. "But I can take you apart with less than that."

"I wasn't threatening you, Merlin. I don't want to kill you." Merlin felt his spirits lighten slightly. For years he had hoped and prayed that one day when Arthur discovered his magic he would speak those words, but what Arthur did next made his stomach drop. Merlin watched in dismay as Arthur raised the sword to his own throat.

"You will not harm my father. I am a Knight of Camelot, and sworn to protect him at all costs, even if that cost is my own life. If you want to leave for Camelot, I will kill myself before you leave my sight."

_{Translations: Ástríce: [I] Strike  
>Swelte, Merlin: Die a violent death, Merlin}<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Lock me up and throw away the key. I know it's been a while, but I had an overload of ISAs, which for those of you who are not taking your GCSEs are like science coursework. But yes... Chapter 4. This one doesn't have a lot of action, but it's necessary. After this, I believe Rachel will be doing the updating so then they will be pretty regualar as she actually has a brain, unlike me. Well, enjoy. _

_... Review. I know where you live. ._

**Chapter 4**

This was certainly an interesting situation. Arthur had never held a sword to his own throat before, and very much hoped that this time would be the last. The look of uncertainty and desperation on Merlin's face made him feel almost guilty, but he steeled himself and held his ground: he hadn't become a knight of Camelot by being sympathetic.

"Arthur, please don't do this!" Merlin pleaded. "No matter what I do now, you'll die." Merlin looked genuinely torn, and if Arthur was unsure of his loyalties before, he was certain now. Arthur thought quickly, knowing that Merlin would agree to anything to keep him alive.

"If I hand over the sword and all my other weapons, will you swear to me that you will not return to Camelot and kill my father?"

"Yes," Merlin nodded eagerly, the beginnings of a smile appearing on his face.

"Swear to me, then."

"I swear on my life, Arthur." Not good enough, because Arthur had seen Merlin willing to die for him before.

Merlin had asked for death but a few minutes earlier, and clearly valued Arthur's life more than his own. Arthur felt a sudden wave of what could have been affection for his manservant. Even after the way he treated Merlin, he was still such a loyal... Well, what he would call a friend. But never out loud, obviously.

"No, Merlin. Swear on mine."

This time Merlin hesitated, and Arthur could see him mentally going through his options. Finally, in a sad, resigned voice, "I swear on your life, I will not harm your father."

He almost threw the sword to Merlin, but remembered his incompetence just in time and handed it to him instead. He could feel the sorcerer, Roth, inside his head, fighting to break through the defences that Arthur had managed to build. He concentrated hard thinking of everyone he cared about as Merlin had told him to. Guinevere, his father, Camelot, his mother, the knights. Even, though he would never admit it, Merlin himself, who he considered one of his best friends.

He had yet to decide whether magic changed that, though he was starting to doubt that it would. He knew that he should arrest Merlin on the spot and drag him back to Camelot, but somehow, he didn't want to. It was a betrayal of his father and everything he stood for, but Arthur had no desire to see Merlin in the flames. Merlin had had many chances to bring about the downfall of Camelot, but he had not taken a single one. Arthur refused to believe Merlin had a speck of evil in him, plus, Merlin being Merlin, if he tried to be evil he'd be rubbish at it anyway.

"_Or would he?"_ A small voice spoke inside Arthur's head. He immediately recognised it as Roth's voice, and not his own. Arthur was unsure how to reply. Should he think it? Or did he need to say it aloud? The first would be less embarrassing if it didn't work, and Roth could already see his thoughts anyway.

"_What do you mean by that?"_ Arthur tried projecting his thoughts to where he could feel Roth trying to break down his defences.

"_Do you truly know him, Arthur?" _The response was louder and more confident. _"What do you know about him? You know where he grew up. You know where he lives. You know he is a clumsy idiot." _At this Arthur almost tried to argue with him, before realising he was quoting his own words. _"You've never taken the time to truly know him. He knows everything about you. Your hopes and dreams, your fears, your strengths and weaknesses, and yet you only found out about his magic a matter of minutes ago. Why didn't he tell you before, of his own free will? Why wouldn't he confide his own secrets in you?"_

_"Shut up." _Arthur didn't need to hear this. He didn't want to hear it. He could feel the doubt creeping into his mind, which he hastily tried to push away. He didn't want to doubt Merlin, but the things Roth was saying seemed to be making sense. _"Merlin has the right to keep secrets. I'm the king's son. He wouldn't have wanted to tell me about his magic. I've never given him any indication that I'm strongly opposed to my father's view. This is a matter of life and death and he has acted as he sees fit." _Arthur was trying to convince himself, as well as the sorcerer, and he could tell that Roth knew this and was pleased about it.

"_And he saw fit not to tell you?" _Roth laughed. _"Really, Arthur. You call yourself his friend. Doesn't it make you wonder what else he has to hide? He could turn on you at any second. He's a sorcerer like me. Once you know one sorcerer, you know them all. Isn't that what your father told you?"_

"SHUT UP!" Arthur yelled making a huge effort and blocking out the sorcerer's voice.

He noticed Merlin flinch and realised he must have said the last part out loud and that Merlin had been speaking to him the entire time he had been arguing with Roth.

"I... I'm sorry," Merlin stammered, looking shocked and a little hurt and doing a very bad job of hiding it.

"No, not you Merlin. I didn't mean to yell. The sorcerer..."

"Don't listen to him!" Merlin said quickly. "He'll try to turn you against me."

"I know. I saw him do the same with you. The same trick can't work twice." Arthur said, still half concentrating on keeping Roth silent. "Merlin. Is there anything else you're hiding from me?" Arthur felt bad for prying, but he needed to put his mind at rest.

"I was just telling you about it, but you weren't listening." Merlin said, sounding slightly irritable.

"I'm sorry. What was it?" Arthur was curious. What else could Merlin have been hiding from him? He couldn't think of anything else that Merlin might have needed to hide, apart from if he was part of some criminal group. Arthur almost laughed. Merlin was far too incompetent. Although he had managed to hide his magic for all this time. Maybe Merlin was secretly as competent as the next man, but acted like an idiot to hide his magic. Arthur shook his head. That idea was also laughable. No-one could be that good at acting. Merlin always had been and always would be an idiot.

"I'm not explaining it again." Merlin sighed. "I'll just have to show you." With that, he set off through the trees, apparently looking for something. Arthur followed, slightly confused, trying to think what Merlin could be trying to find. At last, after a lot of walking when Arthur was sure that Merlin must be lost, Merlin let out a cry of triumph. He hurried out of the trees and into a large clearing with Arthur following. Merlin stood a few metres from the trees and yelled at the sky.

"_Dracan, eom, ala, sece findan metan, teosu hus anbid! Aerne!_"

It was strange watching Merlin shout magic at the sky. The words didn't seem as though they should come from Merlin. Arthur couldn't help but notice that Merlin seemed different when he did magic. He seemed, older and more serious, and almost wise. He seemed powerful, something which Arthur was not accustomed to. He watched Merlin pace from side to side of the clearing, as though waiting for something. Arthur could feel Roth constantly battering the defenses in his mind, which was starting to give him a headache. After a few minutes Arthur's patience started to wear thin.

"What was that supposed to do, Merlin?" He asked as a strong wind started to pick up. Merlin sighed.

"You'll see soon enough. Just try to be open minded." Arthur started to worry as to the gravity of the situation, as the wind became stronger and a cloud covered the moon. Arthur looked up at the sky, to see that even the stars were covered by something which was definitely not a cloud. It was something huge and scaly, with wings and a tail. A creature which was landing in the centre of the clearing. A creature which looked very familiar. Arthur opened his mouth to question Merlin, but he was cut off, not by Merlin, but by the dragon itself. Arthur watched in astonishment as it spoke to Merlin as though it knew him quite well.

"What is it this time, young warlock?" Arthur stared at Merlin. He was a dragon lord. He couldn't be! Balinor had been the last. If Merlin was a dragon lord surely he would have said something before they ventured into Cenred's kingdom. He knew how dangerous it was! Unless... No. Surely not. Arthur remembered how upset Merlin had been when Balinor was killed. At the time Arthur thought he was more upset than he should be, even for Merlin. But how did Merlin know this dragon? He had killed the last one. Hadn't he? Although, he hadn't seen it himself. Merlin had been the one to tell him that the dragon was dead. This dragon looked very familiar. Arthur glared at Merlin.

"Merlin. That had better not be the same dragon that attacked Camelot." Merlin's look of guilt told Arthur all he needed to know. "You told me it was dead! Why is it here? And now it talks?"

"Young Pendragon, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from referring to me as an 'it'. I am a 'he'." Arthur was silenced as the dragon spoke to him. He started towards it, not sure what he was going to do without a sword, but he was so angry, he didn't care.

"How dare you address me after what you did?"

"Arthur, no. Bad idea." Merlin tried to hold him back. The dragon regarded Arthur with mild amusement.

"Events of the past have no consequence here. I cannot return to Camelot under the young warlock's orders." The dragon didn't seem too pleased about this.

"Arthur, let me explain." Merlin cut in.

"It had better be a bloody good explanation, Merlin." Arthur threatened, glaring at the dragon. He could almost hear Roth laughing at him.

Merlin sighed.

"I'm a dragon lord."

"Excellent deduction, Merlin. I never would have guessed!" Arthur said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You didn't. I had to show you. You were too busy being a prat to notice before."

"Shut up and get on with it."

"Sorry. Balinor was my father."

"I thought he might be." Arthur interrupted. Merlin gave him a look.

"If you keep interrupting this will take a very long time."

Arthur desperately wanted the sorcerer out of his head as soon as possible, and so elected to stay quiet.

"Kilgharrah has been helping me since I first came to Camelot. At first, it was free, but after a while, it came with a price." Merlin seemed unwilling to continue. "I traded the advice for... For releasing him." At this Arthur could stay quiet no longer.

"_You _released that thing?" Arthur couldn't believe it. That creature, which had terrorised and murdered his people, had been released by Merlin. Of all people, the one person he thought he could trust.

"I already told you that, and I had no choice!"

"There's always a choice, Merlin."

"If I hadn't then Cornelius Sigan would have destroyed Camelot! I did not know that he had the same intention."

"My aim was not to destroy Camelot, Merlin." The dragon interrupted. "I merely wanted revenge on he who imprisoned me."

Arthur ignored him and instead, cast his mind back to try to remember a Cornelius Sigan. There had been so many sorcerers determined to destroy Camelot, and as a general rule, he didn't tend to make an effort to remember their names.

"Cornelius Sigan?" Arthur asked, hating to seem unknowledgeable about any topic.

"When all the gargoyles came to life. When you decided you preferred a bootlicker to me." Arthur frowned at Merlin. It was true, at the time he had thought he would prefer a servant who was competent and respectful, but if he was honest with himself, he had missed having someone to talk to and insult. He even enjoyed the insults Merlin threw back at him.

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but without Kilgharrah, Camelot would have been destroyed a long time ago."

Arthur sighed. He was beginning to get a throbbing headache from Roth's incessant attacks on the wall he had built within his mind, and he didn't want to have to think about Merlin's confessions, or whether or not he was prepared to accept them. Arthur shook his head.

"We'll discuss this when I can think straight, Merlin."

Merlin nodded, biting his lip anxiously, and Arthur somehow doubted that their relationship was going to deteriorate, despite Merlin's magic. From what he had heard, all the coincidences which had saved his life before seemed to have been Merlin. Merlin had really meant it when he'd said that Arthur didn't know how many times he'd saved his life. He'd been pretty thick not to see it before. That was if he chose to believe Merlin...

Merlin turned back to the dragon.

"Arthur has been possessed by a sorcerer."

The dragon eyed Arthur with renewed interest.

"He seems to be himself to me."

"That's because he's managed to keep him at bay for now, but I don't know how long he'll be able to stay like that. Please, you have to tell me how to banish the sorcerer for good."

The dragon shook its head.

"Alas, young warlock, once again I do not know how to help you. However..." Arthur felt a surge of hope inside him. "There is one who can."

"Tell me where to find him!" Merlin demanded eagerly.

"She can be found to the West, on the borders of Cenred's kingdom."

She? A woman. Arthur felt slightly less reassured. Most women with a knowledge of magic in his experience had been intent on killing him or destroying Camelot. He resolved to push this thought away and keep an open mind. Anything to destroy Roth.

Merlin sighed impatiently. "You know it would help if you could be a little less vague. Will you take us there?"

"I have already told you Merlin, I am not a horse. Additionally, I believe this to be very unwise, considering the condition of the young Pendragon."

Merlin's brow furrowed in confusion, but Arthur understood exactly what he meant. He could feel Roth's disappointment as he realised he had lost another opportunity to kill his host. With Roth in his head and a drop of several hundred, maybe even thousands of feet flying would be a very bad idea.

"It would be giving the sorcerer the opportunity to kill me." Arthur explained.

"Well done, young Pendragon." The dragon nodded approvingly. "You're not as stupid as you seem."

Arthur took a step forward indignantly, opening his mouth to retort but Merlin grabbed his arm.

"Let's just get going, shall we?" Arthur sighed and allowed Merlin to lead the way back into the forest, trying to concentrate on the sound of the dragon taking off again, rather than the faint hope that he wouldn't die before they reached the only one who seemed able to help them.

_[Translations: Dracan, eom, ala, sece findan metan, teosu hus anbid! Aerne!:  
><em>_Dragon, like burning fire, I try to find and meet you; don't keep one of your own race suffering in doubt! Hurry! {Series 3, Episode 11}]_

_There you have it. Who saw the new Merlin episode? :D_


	5. Chapter 5

**And here we have the first of my chapters, and it's all me up until the end now (with some help from Hannah, obviously). So full of feelings from last night's episode; it's probably a good thing I wrote this earlier because I'd never have been able to finish it now: too busy sobbing. Enjoy.**

Merlin knocked on the door of the small hut, glancing back at Arthur nervously. Arthur rolled his eyes, and jerked his head in the direction of the door. That's the prat, Merlin thought to himself, reassured that Arthur was still holding Roth at bay. Merlin turned his head forwards again, to find a young woman standing in the doorframe. Her arms were folded and she scowled at him with one eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Hi," began Merlin. "My name is Merlin. I'm sorry to bother you, but we have a problem, and we've heard that you may be able to help us."

"I'm a weaver, but you'll have to come to market if you want anything. I don't sell from my home." She spoke abruptly and with a harsh impatience to her voice, and moved to close the door, but Merlin stopped it with his foot.

"We've heard you can help with..." Merlin lowered his voice conspiratorially, "possession magic."

The woman's face flashed with surprise and something Merlin suspected was pride, before she resumed her scowl, an expression which seemed too at home on her face. "Well, you've heard wrong. I'm not a lawbreaker."

"Please. You have my word that we won't tell anyone of your skills."

"I don't know what you're talking about, so you can just -"

"Forbearnan." Merlin whispered the spell into his hand, and held out the small flame to the woman. He looked her in the eyes, forcing himself not to turn back to gauge Arthur's reaction. Her eyes widened, and she leaned out of her home to look up and down the path. Satisfied, she looked again at Merlin, this time with a searching look.

"Get inside," she hissed urgently, evidently convinced by Merlin's carefully placed earnest expression. Merlin and Arthur stepped inside, and the woman closed the door behind them before turning to face them.

Merlin quickly took in the furnishings of the small hut. A table, a chair, a bed. Woven rugs were hung up on a rack in the corner, with brightly coloured string hanging loosely off some of them. The dirt floor was bare, but the walls were decorated with various trinkets: unfamiliar silver charms, a charcoal sketch of a man and a woman, a horseshoe from which Merlin detected the familiar feeling of powerful magic trying to conceal itself._ Oh yes_, Merlin thought to himself as the woman began to speak,_ she can help us._

"My name is Arianell, and I'm not saying I'll help you. I'm saying I'll think about it."

Merlin nodded, and was about to speak, but Arianell continued before he had the chance. "Let me try and guess; don't tell me."

"It really is quite urgent, you see -" Merlin began.

Then you had better stay on my good side, eh, Merlin?"

Merlin gaped as Arianell continued. "So: Merlin. Cheap clothes, well worn, falling apart a little. Skin and bones; not a farmer, then - too pale, anyway, unless those ears shield you from the sun. But powerful magic. Very powerful. You hide it then; you live as a servant. So you're from Camelot, because anywhere else you'd have magicked yourself a better outfit. God knows why you stay in that awful place, probably family ties, maybe you're just stupid."

_Destiny_, Merlin thought to himself with just a little hint of sadness, if not actual regret, as Arianell turned to appraise Arthur, who stepped forwards to meet her eyes.

"Muscles here, you've got nice clothes. Practical, expensive, fitted. Good posture, plenty of strength, not bad looking either. Since you're in Merlin's company, I'm assuming you're from Camelot too. I'm going to go with knight of Camelot, or at least a hopeful. You didn't introduce yourself, so probably from a noble family, trying to do this quietly. Certainly don't want your name associated with sorcery; it's a well known name, then. Yet you were clearly standing behind Merlin here until just now, which can't be natural for you. I think you're afraid of me. Now why would a big man like you me afraid of a girl like me? Oh, I know. You're not afraid of _me_ - you're afraid of magic! Oh, _this _is good. You only just found out that he has magic, didn't you? Maybe you didn't know him at all before recently, maybe you didn't know him as well as you thought you did. You didn't know about the magic, certainly. So you wanted him to speak to me, magic to magic, because you're still afraid."

Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but Arianell made a 'Shh' noise and silenced him. Merlin held back a completely inappropriate chuckle.

"Okay, you're not afraid. Let's say 'cautious', or 'appropriately wary', if it makes you feel any better. So the two of you came here looking for an expert in possession magic. It's urgent, so I'm guessing one of you's possessed right now, and without your consent. Nasty. Magical servant, he wouldn't bother bringing a strongman with him for this. So it's you. Alright, here's my best guess. Knight of Camelot gets himself possessed by the standard sorcerer out to destroy Camelot, almost kills the king, magical servant stops him, brings him here to fix it. Wait a minute - why would someone with magic save Uther's life?" Arianell looked at Merlin, almost accusingly, but she didn't seem to require an answer.

"I'd know if he were dead. And it's definitely not worth revealing yourself for; that's a huge risk. No - not for Uther. For the knight here. He's not just a knight. You keep twitching: you want to look at him but you stop yourself. You might not have told him about the magic, but he's your friend. You couldn't let him kill Uther, because then the prince would have his head and the sorcerer would abandon him to die before going after the prince as well, maybe putting the Lady Morgana back on the throne, maybe himself. You don't want your friend to die, even if it means you could practice your magic freely. So you reveal yourself and bring him here, risking your own life on the gamble that he'll trust you, because you want to save him. Now that's loyalty - I'm impressed."

Arianell stepped back, clearly finished. "Was I close?"

Merlin couldn't hold back a smile at that. "It's a little more complicated than that."

"Enlighten me."

"The sorcerer's name is Roth, and he doesn't want to possess Arthur. He just wants to kill him. That's why it's so urgent, because Arthur can only hold him back for -"

"Arthur? As in, Prince Arthur of Camelot?"

"Yes," Arthur replied, and the change in Arianell was instant. Where before she'd been standoffish, and then downgraded this to energetic but a little rude, now she suddenly turned very, very cold. She hissed at Arthur, her voice full of venom and controlled hatred, "Whoever this Roth fellow is, I'm sure he has suffered enough. And as the dragon-slaying son of Uther Pendragon, it was very foolish of you to presume that I would be on your side."

Arthur looked to Merlin now, with an almost imperceptible nod that Merlin took as permission to say whatever needed to be said. Merlin took a moment to appreciate the gesture. Arthur trusted him: Arthur thought he could fix this. Merlin could only hope that Arthur was right.

"Have you ever heard of Emrys?" Merlin began. Arianell shook her head, so he continued. "That's what the druids call me. I'm supposed to be the most powerful sorcerer to ever live, and Arthur is the -"

"I don't care how strong your magic is, you can't threaten me."

"It wasn't a threat, I - there's a prophecy. Arthur is the Once and Future King, destined to unite the lands of Albion and -"

"He's never been king before, and if I can help it, he'll never live to be king. You're clearly insane. Go home."

"Please," Merlin began. "Arthur has accepted my magic - when he is king I am sure that you will be free. Roth has some strange madness and cannot see this, but I swear - "

"I am as free as I need to be. But your prince here has done terrible things, things which I cannot forgive as easily as you can. There's nothing you can say to change my mind."

Merlin stopped for a moment, trying to think of what Arianell was referring to. The druids? But before he could speak, Arthur was already talking.

"If it helps, the dragon is alive. I never killed it."

The effect on Arianell was instantaneous. She blinked, shock written across her face, and looked at Arthur with wide eyes. "What? I - how?"

Arianell's reaction was more or less the same as Arthur's had been, merely hours ago, but Arthur hid it well. Merlin thought that this was probably a good move - admitting that until that night Arthur had thought that he had killed the dragon and been proud of it would probably not impress Arianell. Arthur answered her inarticulate questions with, "Merlin here is a dragonlord. He commanded the dragon to leave Camelot, and it was declared dead so that it would not be hunted."

Arianell turned to face Merlin, a new respect in her eyes, and a hint of awe. "You're a dragonlord? Then why - why would you let it attack Camelot for those days then call it off, if you're so loyal?"

Merlin looked down at that, filled with guilt for releasing the dragon, and thoughts of Balinor. "I wasn't a dragonlord when the attack started."

Something in Arianell's face softened for the first time. "Oh... oh I'm so sorry."

Merlin shook his head, and spoke firmly. "It's fine. It was my fault anyway... I was the one who released the dragon in the first place."

Arianell paused for a moment, and suddenly Merlin was terrified that he'd misjudged; made some mistake and doomed Arthur by his careless confession of something he'd carefully kept hidden for over two years. But when she spoke, it was with laughter in her voice and just a hint of fondness. "You manipulative little - " Arianell was certainly surprised and Merlin could have sworn she was almost impressed, because Merlin's gamble that the dragon meant something to her had clearly paid off. "Fine. I'll help you. But not until you show me the dragon. I need to know that you're telling me the truth."

Merlin nodded. "Alright. I'll call him. Follow me." He led Arianell and Arthur out of the hut. Arianell closed the door behind herself, and the three of them walked a safe distance away from her home before heading into the forest. Merlin stepped forwards, and spoke the words of the Old Religion that would call the dragon to them. He looked back at his two companions and nodded: it wouldn't take long, they had left the dragon only hours ago. It must still be close.

Sure enough, the dragon was there within minutes. He landed with a rush of wind and raised his head up proudly to face Merlin. Oddly enough, Merlin felt as though he didn't have the dragon's full attention. He seemed... distracted?

Merlin nodded at the dragon, before turning to observe his companions. Arianell was visible shaken, murmuring unintelligibly under her breath and running a hand through her hair. Arthur, by contrast, looked almost gleeful. "Proof enough for you?" he all but crowed, clearly reveling in Arianell's moment of... not exactly weakness, but certainly an openness and vulnerability that was not at all like her, from what Merlin had seen.

When Arianell spoke, it was in a shaken whisper which betrayed just how much emotion she was holding back. Merlin couldn't tell if this was joy, or anger, or something else entirely, but whatever it was, there was a lot of it. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and somehow Merlin knew that Arianell would never, ever let them fall. "Yeah... yeah, that'll do it."

Merlin turned to the dragon, and spoke to him. "You were right - she can help us. She only wanted proof you weren't dead. Thanks; you can go now." The dragon nodded, and began to stretch his wings, before Arianell stepped forwards suddenly.

"Wait!" Miraculously, the dragon actually waited, looking down at Arianell expectantly. "You - you told them where to find me?"

"That I did, young witch."

"How did you know of me? I've been in hiding for years."

"I knew your parents, once."

"You knew my parents? That must have been nice - because I never knew them! My parents died for you - and then you let me think that you were dead, that everything had been for nothing!"

"To reveal myself would have been an unnecessary risk."

Arianell was fuming now, pacing up and down and gesticulating wildly. "You could have trusted me! You just ran away? You coward! Hiding in a cave, like Balinor?"

The insult to Merlin's father stung, more than he would have expected. He wanted to speak; words threatened to break forth, defending his father - he only left to protect those he loved, he had no weapons left to fight with once the dragons were all dead or imprisoned. But Merlin stopped himself from speaking, because Arianell clearly hated Balinor: must do, since he betrayed the great dragon to whom Arianell was inexplicably loyal. And his pride was not worth jeopardising Arianell's trust, because at the moment it looked as though she was going to save Arthur. And saving Arthur was everything.

And that was what was different. This time, as Merlin swallowed his secrets, Arthur was there, offering a half-sympathetic glance and an awkward pat on the shoulder. Not from guesswork and Merlin failing to hide it, but because he knew. He actually knew. And maybe, Merlin thought, as Arianell continued to rage at the dragon, that was all Merlin needed to keep going.


	6. Chapter 6

**In which Arthur gets brain freeze, tragic things happen, and I successfully resist the temptation to make Chaos Walking references. This is the last proper chapter, but there will be a very brief epilogue after this. Thanks to everyone who's been reading, double thanks to reviewers, and I hope everyone who's on half term is having a good one so far.**

"I'm sorry," muttered Arthur, deciding to get this particular conversation out of the way while they had time to wait. Merlin just looked at him blankly, so Arthur continued. "For what I said, when Balinor - "

"It's alright," Merlin interrupted. "You didn't know."

"No." Arthur shook his head sadly. He didn't know. He didn't know anything, because Merlin had lied to him. And he was angry about that, but he also wished that he could have been there for Merlin like Merlin had always been there for him.

They only had a moment, because it wasn't long before the Great Dragon was flying away, leaving behind a still-fuming Arianell, shouting insults at its retreating back.

"Not too impressed with the dragon, are you?" Arthur quipped, as Arianell made her way towards them. Arthur triumphantly noted Merlin holding back a laugh, but Arianell only rolled her eyes and began speaking as if he hadn't said anything.

"Well, I saw the dragon, so I guess I'll help you."

"Thank you," said Arthur, sincerely.

"Explain everything that's happened to you so far, and don't leave anything out."

Curious as he was, Arthur couldn't help but zone out as Merlin was explaining. All of this just happened to him: he didn't need to hear it again. He took the opportunity, instead, to study Arianell. As Merlin spoke, she was listening intently, pausing every so often to ask a question. Her grey eyes darted about, usually fixed on Merlin but occasionally glancing at Arthur, or at the surrounding trees. About halfway through the conversation she redid the ribbon in her hair in mid-sentence, and for a moment Arthur caught a glimpse of a great mass of sweeping red hair before she pinned it up again. Although Merlin had a good two inches on her, and she was looking at him with something akin to awe, she still managed to give the impression that she was looking down on him somehow. It was bizarre.

"The dragon told us to go to you and - well you were there for the rest of the story. That's pretty much it."

As Merlin concluded, Arianell turned to look at Arthur again, and he felt her looking at him in a new light, much like when she found out Merlin was a dragonlord. She was surprised, impressed, and something else, something Arthur couldn't quite recognise. "You've been able to hold him back with images?"

Arthur nodded: for the past few hours, in the back of his mind he had been thinking very strongly about the things that made him _him, _and not Roth. Images of the walls of Camelot, the knights, the people. Uther, Merlin, Gwen.

"I'm impressed," commented Arianell. "But he's still in there, and if you fall asleep he'll be able to take over. "

"I'm not going to fall asleep," Arthur replied, indignant, but something was against him because as he spoke he felt a yawn overtake him. "That proves nothing," he snapped.

"Whatever you say," Arianell smirked, drawing a bundle of herbs from her pocket. "Here," she said, passing him a small green leaf. "Eat this. It'll keep you awake for a few hours."

"Thanks," Arthur muttered. He looked to Merlin briefly, who nodded. Well, if Merlin trusted it, then Arthur trusted it, so he started chewing on the leaf. "This is repulsive!"

"I know," grinned Arianell, and Arthur saw Merlin stifling a laugh.

"Do you know a way to get Roth out of my mind?" Arthur asked, trying to regain his dignity.

Arianell shook her head. "I can put him into another person."

"Merlin could have done that! We need him dead."

"I can do that to. I kill the host." Arthur backed away, suddenly unsure, and certainly not expecting Arianell to laugh at him. "Don't be thick, I'm not going to kill you. I'll put him in me, just like Merlin put him in you."

And that was what got Arthur. The matter of fact way she said it, declaring her own impending death so conversationally, as if she was discussing the weather. Suddenly, he couldn't accept that, not ever.

"You're going to have to accept it, because it's going to happen."

Arthur tilted his head, confused and struck with a sudden panic that was unrelated to Arianell's potential death. "Did you just read my mind?" And the question that had suddenly arisen in his head: can Merlin do that?

"Maybe, or maybe it was written all over your face."

That infuriating woman. Arthur thought 'go away Merlin' very loudly, just in case, but Merlin didn't react. Arianell had a sparkle in her eye that he wasn't comfortable with at all, though. He tried to close his mind off a little, retreating internally - he was a very private person and he did _not_ like the idea of anyone being able to read his thoughts.

Suddenly, Arthur was very angry at Arianell. Not just annoyed, but something deeper. She was about to ruin everything, to kill him! He almost tried to reach for his magic, before remembering that he didn't have any. Not at the moment. So he took what he could get, leaping at her and putting his hand around her neck.

He intended to strangle her, or perhaps to break her neck. All he knew was that he had a huge weight of muscle here, and she was just a slip of a girl. But then suddenly all he knew was pain, and his head was spinning and the girl was drawing her fist back and coming in for another punch -

When he regained his bearings, he saw that Arianell had run to stand next to Merlin. He tried to run to them, but Merlin had conjured a magical shield which he could not pass. Of course they're standing together, a voice hissed somewhere in his mind. Everyone's together, but Arthur's all alone. Arthur's always alone, he might as well just stop trying because nobody -

Vaguely, Arthur became aware of Merlin shouting to him, a voice calling distantly through the sound of thunder that filled his ears. "Fight back, Arthur!" He looked at Merlin, confused. Why did Merlin look so afraid? Because he knows you're going to kill him, answered the voice. Arthur shook his head: surely not. Surely he could have fixed everything by killing Merlin, but still refused? He couldn't quite remember why. Would killing Merlin still fix this? Had that ever been an option? Killing his father was certainly not an option.

Assaulted by images, Arthur sank to his knees, burying his face in his hands. Memories. Arthur was eight, and his father was explaining to him the evils of sorcery. Arthur was nodding earnestly, repeating, 'Sorcerers are bad, magic is bad,' to himself as if afraid that he would forget it.

"That's not you!"

Merlin, swearing that he wasn't a sorcerer, that he had never seen that book before. 'I wouldn't lie to you,' he said. 'You can trust me,' he had said. Lies, lies, lies, all of it. Surely Merlin deserved death for his lies? Arthur rushed the magical shield once more with all his strength, but still it would not move.

Then another thought came to him. Merlin had lied, but Arthur had fallen for it. Arthur had believed him to be innocent, and even today, seeing evidence of his crimes, Arthur still wanted to trust Merlin. He must be a fool, or else he must be under some spell: that was the only explanation.

"It's not real Arthur - those aren't your thoughts!"

No, those weren't your thoughts, those were the thoughts of a foolish boy who had believed the lies of a sorcerer -

Arthur was suddenly filled with self loathing: he was a terrible person. He was an idiot who had fallen for Merlin's evil plot. He was a weakling who would never be a good king, never amount to anything. He would always be a failure in his father's eyes. He was a liability to Camelot, and to his father.

Surrounded by the magical shield, Arthur had few options. But once he resolved that the world would be better off without him, he knew that there was one easy way to do this, and Merlin couldn't stop him.

Arthur held his breath. He had the self-discipline for this. He wouldn't pass out: he'd had those leaves, to keep him awake. He just had to resist the urge to breath. He was strong enough.

"Arthur? Arthur, breathe!"

Really? Why would he want to do that?

"Arthur, you just have to breathe! You're strong enough, I know you can do this - please - " Merlin sounded desperate.

Evil. No: not evil. Desperate and worried and loyal and everything Merlin was, everything Merlin had always been. With a jolt of fear, Arthur identified the second voice as Roth, and knew that he would have to fight him again.

When he remembered the battle that he had to fight, suddenly this made a lot more sense. Arthur focused his mind again, on Merlin's voice, still panicked and desperate. He thought perhaps Arianell was calling for him too, but it may have been in his imagination.

Merlin was his anchor, and with that knowledge safely with him, Arthur went on the offensive. He imitated the feeling of thinking deeply, trying to recall something forgotten, and when he went deep enough into his mind he found what he was looking for. Roth.

He dug through memories, feeling pity at what he saw but no pity strong enough to overwhelm his sense of self preservation. He went quickly, for he could feel himself growing lightheaded with the lack of air, and took in little of what he saw: he only had minutes.

Roth as a young man, falling in love with a young woman. A happy marriage, with a few blissful months of peace. Roth, casting simple spells to amuse his wife and trying to teach her to do magic as well. A proud bump on her stomach, growing day by day. Then: worrying news from Camelot - the death of the queen, the madness of the king. The beginning of the purge, and his wife, bound to a stake. Burnt without trial, with their child still inside her.

Arthur considered trying to get Roth to relent: he tried to show his reaction to the vision Morgause sent of his mother, perhaps. Roth didn't seem to react, and Arthur considered trying again. But that was too risky: he could die in the meanwhile. Instead he began to swing his thoughts like weapons, growing more creative and more cruel with each blow.

Arthur's sent his own memory, the pain of the Questing Beast's bite, and Roth seemed to retreat, somehow. He was surprised. Arthur hurled one of Roth's memories at him now: almost drowning as a child. Arthur imagined water everywhere, until he almost believed that was his own memory, that he was drowning in a lake, but someone he trusted was pulling him up and all he had to do was breathe -

Arthur took in heavy panting breaths, having finally regained the use of his lungs. But he didn't have long to savour the feeling, because Roth was still not subdued.

Arthur sent further assaults: the vivid memory of being struck with an arrow. Arthur sent his nightmare, of falling from a great height, and landing in an unmarked grave. Roth retaliated with a nightmare of his own: the blazing heat of the pyre, the smell of burning hair, and the sound of a woman screaming.

The screams almost got to Arthur, but he opened his eyes and fixed his eyes on Arianell. That would be her if I fail, he told himself, and then her image was in his mind, burned into his eyelids even as they closed. He saw her burning, and immediately dismissed the thought, too horrifying to consider. Then Arthur was burning, and there was a fire consuming him from the inside, filling him with unbearable pain. He'd never allow another magic user to burn again, if this was what it was to burn.

Somehow, the Arianell in his mind had acquired a sword. A sword he had never seen before, but which he must have imagined. Perhaps it was a memory of Roth's. It seemed very powerful, for his image of Arianell was swinging it wildly and the flames were retreating.

When Arthur opened his eyes again, fighting Roth's attempt to close them, he saw Merlin and Arianell standing together. Merlin was straining to keep the magical shield up whilst casting some other spell, and Arianell was calling to him. "That's it, Arthur - hold him back. Now imagine a wall."

Arthur kept his eyes on Merlin and Arianell as he fought. He tried the walls of Camelot again, but they crumbled as Roth hit them with the memory of a magic spell which shook the earth. Arthur summoned a wall of water this time, and pushed Roth down into the depths of an imagined lake. Then he thought of ice; he thought of ice until Roth was frozen in position. Roth summoned fire, but Arthur had only to consider some of the water melting, dousing the fire, and then refreezing. Roth was trapped, for now.

Arthur nodded, and called out to them. "I've held him back, but I don't know for how long. That was too close."

"I'll take him. I'm an expert in those kinds of battles: I can hold him off for as long as I'm awake."

Before Arthur had the chance to argue, Arianell had walked right up to him. Merlin had dropped his shield, but he still approached cautiously, ready to spring back into action. Arianell was fearless.

She put her hands to his temple, and looked into his eyes. She murmured a spell, and Arthur felt a great weight of ice (and evil sorcerer) leave his mind. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them she was clearly still herself.

"There. Look, I didn't quite explain properly earlier. When you kill a body, one soul goes on. That's how it works. If there are two souls in the same body, only one goes on. The other is merely expelled from the body, free to return to any body which lives but has no soul, or to live on as a ghost."

Merlin had clearly been listening intently to this, and understanding more than Arthur had. "How can a body live with no soul?"

"There is a terrible curse which can separate your body and soul forever, which is a fate far worse than death. Or it can be self-inflicted and temporary, in order for your soul to possess someone else. This is what Roth has done: his body will be sleeping somewhere, and if you died with him in your mind, he would return to his body."

"So we can't kill him. We have to find his body." Arthur nodded to himself: Merlin had a plan. A way to solve this without anyone on his side dying.

"There's no time. You said yourself: it's a day's ride from here, and we have no horses. We'd be exhausted, and whoever he possessed would be very vulnerable. You have to kill me."

"But he'll just return to his body!"

"No. He would if you were killed. I'm stronger than him; I will be the one left behind."

"Excuse me! I did just defeat him, as you might have noticed!" Arthur interjected here, feeling the need to defend his pride.

"Yes, Arthur, you were very good. You had excellent strategy, and you defeated him by thinking fast. You're a natural warrior, in any arena. But when it comes to deciding who dies, the test is of strength, not of courage and intelligence. But by separating his soul from his body, and worse still sharing a body with another soul, Roth has damaged his soul beyond repair. His soul cannot heal, nor can it change, and his thoughts can only ever go in circles. His mind is strengthened by his madness in terms of sheer force, but I have years of training behind me."

"That doesn't necessarily mean you're stronger than him."

"Arthur Pendragon, I come from a long line of powerful sorcerers. My ancestors fought with dragons, and I am immensely skilled in the magic of thoughts and minds. I can project my thoughts to speak with sorcerers living on the other side of the world. I could imprison a hundred souls in the depths of my mind, and not even lose what sanity I have left. Your father may have taken the pride of my family from me, but nothing can take away my knowledge of my own power. I'm stronger than anyone. Trust me."

Arthur shook his head. "I still won't kill you."

Arianell turned to Merlin, as if asking his help. Merlin looked lost, and Arthur could understand why. Merlin was willing to die himself, to kill Uther, to do almost anything to save Arthur. But he was such a kind person, and the thought of allowing Arianell to die must be as bad for Merlin as it was for Arthur. Perhaps worse, since Arianell was a fellow magic user, who must have things to teach Merlin.

Merlin's eyes flickered downwards and then back up to look at Arianell, and she seemed to gain some message from this. Arthur watched, perplexed, trying to discover what had escaped his notice. Time seem to slow as a horrified Arthur watched Arianell draw a dagger from her belt, and stab herself in the gut.

Arthur leapt forwards to stop her, but was too late. He settled for supporting her, holding her in his arms and gently kneeling as she sank to the ground.

"Thought... it'd be best this way," she spoke up at him. Arthur shook his head furiously, blinking back tears. "Don't cry, you girl," she mocked him. "I've beaten him already - he'll die, and I'll only be mostly dead."

"There - there has to be another way!" Arthur looked to Merlin, desperately. "Tell me there's another way - heal her!"

Merlin shook his head, his own eyes brimming, but Arianell gripped Arthur's shirt and pulled him back around to face her, speaking with urgency. "There's still time. Merlin has the power over life and death - he can take Uther's life for mine, if you wish it."

Arthur grew wild and desperate, and looked up to Merlin, about to tell him to -

Merlin looked panicked and horrified. "I don't know how to do that!" he shook his head, already full of guilt. "I only did it once, I -"

Arthur looked back at Arianell, while Merlin babbled something about lightning. Merlin couldn't save her, but she didn't look all that surprised. "Don't worry, Merlin," she called out, "I know you can't. But I know what Arthur would have done, and he's a man worth dying for. Kilgharrah did say that he would be great." Arianell lowered her voice, and addressed Arthur now. "See you in five minutes," she grinned, and then the light faded from her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Managed to resist the urge to insert Aithusa here, because then 'The Wicked Day' happened and I really can't deal with that at the moment. Just remember that one day, Arianell and Aithusa will be having competitions to find out who can irritate Kilgharrah more. Aithusa breaths sparks and hiccoughs, whilst Arianell's weapon of choice is the deadly use of terrible _terrible_ puns.**

Merlin sat on the chair in Arthur's room, carefully polishing Arthur's armour. He didn't look up as he heard the door open, but instead grumbled, "There you are. Where have you been? I've been polishing this for hours, it's been the most boring day of my life."

"Father's a bit more lucid today. He wanted to have a meeting." Then, "Why is it taking you so long? Isn't there a spell for that?"

"You really want me to use magic on your chainmail?"

"If it means it'll be ready this year, then by all means."

Merlin nodded happily at the demonstration of trust, and cast a quick spell to keep the rag polishing the armour as he stood to talk to Arthur. "How's your father, then?"

"He's fine, I really think he's starting to recover. Merlin, did you know that your eyes turn gold when you do magic?"

"Yeah."

"It's weird."

"Thanks, Arthur."

"Merlin..." Merlin shook his head, feeling the beginnings of a headache appearing. The dragon?

"I didn't think it could be done, but you just pulled a face even less attractive than your ordinary face. That's an impressive achievement - congratulations."

"Sorry - it's Kilgharrah. I think he's calling me."

"We'd better go and see what he wants then."

"You want to come with me?" Merlin raised an eyebrow, and Arthur nodded as if it should have been obvious. "Nothing to do with seeing Arianell, is it?"

"The dragon is a giant, talking, magical beast. I'm just interested, that's all. Arianell's irritating at best."

"Sure," Merlin nodded skeptically, suppressing a laugh. "Well, you're not the only one of that mind - I went to see him last week, and all he wanted was to get rid of her. Asked me to perform an exorcism."

"You didn't though - did you?"

"No, of course not. I told him that him and Arianell were two sides of the same coin, and that he had to stay with her because of destiny. Serves him right."

"Now I'm feeling sorry for her," Arthur teased, and Merlin rolled his eyes in response.

"She's loving it, of course. Never happier than when she has someone to torment. She almost remind me of someone I know..."

"I'll have you know, Merlin, I am exceptionally charming!"

"Mmm. Modest, too."

He left Arthur's armour on the chair, and stood to leave. Arthur followed him, the pair of them still exchanging comments, and before long they were out of Camelot and into the forest. Merlin followed the sound of the dragon's call, until they came to a clearing containing a very large dragon and a very transparent woman.

Merlin pretended not notice the significant looks Arthur exchanged with Arianell. "What's up?" he asked the dragon, a beaming smile on his face.

"It is time, young warlock."

"Time for what?" Arianell interjected, suddenly lighthearted. Arthur looked similarly puzzled, but Merlin thought he knows what the dragon meant.

"Because of what happened today?" he asked.

Kilgharrah nodded. "He is ready."

Merlin looked over at Arthur, clueless as ever, but standing besides the ghost of a witch and looking to his magical manservant for guidance, and couldn't help but agree. Arthur had been ready to be king of Camelot for some time, but now - now he was ready to be king of Albion, and not just any king, but the greatest.

"It is time." Merlin agreed.

"What?" Arthur demanded, and Merlin laughed and teased, but eventually relented, and told Arthur of a sword in a stone, waiting in the forest nearby for the once and future king to claim it for his own.


End file.
